“I wish my life was like a Disney movie.”
Dear anyone whose mouth has ever tasted these words; be careful what you wish for.
When we were little, Disney movies were like crack. They had beautiful princesses, handsome princes, adventure, true love and happily-ever-afters. Little girls and probably even some little boys aspired to be like their favorite princess and dreamed of finding true love and having their own happily-ever-after. Disney seemed perfect when we were eight years old, right?
But there’s a dark side to some of the most popular Disney movies that is more shocking than Mushu discovering that Mulan’s lucky cricket isn’t even lucky.
The early Disney movies contain every “-ism” in the book; racism, abled-bodyism, ageism, and the most prominent, sexism. While a 50 page paper could be written on each of those subjects, I’m going to focus on sexism.
If you’ve ever looked past the perfect princesses, the hunky princes, the envy-worthy hair, and happily-ever-afters, you can’t deny Disney is often the perfect example of a patriarchal society.
The women are gorgeous with perfect bodies and great voices. They’re nice, submissive, and rely on a prince to save them from whatever mortal danger they’re in. The men are chivalrous, noble, and value their princess for her beauty.
Snow White wandered into a random house and started cleaning.
Cinderella was also a maid and the Prince valued her for her beauty and her singing voice.
Ariel couldn’t even talk when she met Prince Eric. He fell in love with her looks, not her mind or opinion.
Not to mention all of these princesses relied on a prince to be their savior. This shows women as helpless and puts pressure on men to “save” a woman. Disney shows that in order for the guy to get the girl he has to be hyper-masculine; handsome, tall and strong. No wonder girls often have unrealistic expectations when it comes to guys.
Girls also have high expectations when it comes to their own self-image. All the classic Disney movies have super skinny female protagonists. Imagine the damage on a plump, 8-year-old girl’s psyche who wants to look like Ariel. She can beg her mom to get her hair dyed but an 8-year-old should not have body issues.
These Disney movies also plant the idea that a happily ever after is guaranteed. As we grow up, we realize this may not always be the case.
Now don’t get sour about me trash talking a huge part of your childhood. I love Disney movies as much as the next person and the movies are improving. The movies have progressed with the always-changing times and they will continue to change.
In Tangled, Rapunzel has an adventurous spirit and she makes most decisions for herself. The blonde protagonist is nice and wants to please people but she does what is best for her, not a prince that just fell in love with her beauty.
Mulan, from my favorite Disney movie, is the most B.A. of all Disney females. She pretends to be a guy and joins the army to save her father’s life. Mulan proves she doesn’t need anyone else to save her and she doesn’t rely on her looks to get by. An entire country respected her as a soldier and as a woman, not for her beauty but for her actions.
Merida, the fiery red head of “Brave,” is not a size two and doesn’t have the ideal feminine look that Disney emulated with previous princesses. She causes an uproar when she rips her dress and shoots the arrows to win her own hand in marriage. The entire movie is about her seeking to control her own fate and her relationship with her mother.
It’s not a bad thing to love Disney movies. I never turn one down but I never take them for more than face value. The true love Disney used to show was shallow and unrealistic, but Disney is evolving. True love exists but it’s better to be loved and cherished not for only your outer beauty, but your entire being.